Letters

I detest people who insert 75 cents into a newspaper box and take more than one paper.

I witnessed this about 1:15 p.m. May 25 from the Beacon box at Sunoco Station in Calabash. It’s not like the gentleman couldn’t afford more than one paper (much less read more than one), and he had a vanity plate. Heck, if he could afford the vanity plate, he could certainly not play the game of taking two papers. I must wonder if this is a regular thing for him.

In her letter of May 19, Susan Scherer wrote North Carolina is a “police state” because “registered voters have to show a picture ID or they will be turned away and not allowed to vote.” Such comment compels response.

I have been dismayed by the feeling of Ocean Isle Beach versus Ocean Ridge at recent public meetings regarding the Ocean Isle Beach Park expansion project. It seems that some residents in the area have the impression that Ocean Ridge residents don’t care about parks and/or ball fields for kids and that Ocean Ridge is against this project just because it is adjacent to Ocean Ridge. As we have learned from Commissioner Thompson’s recent site visit, most do not understand how close this is to our homes.

Thank you to The Brunswick Beacon, the town of Shallotte (police and services), the Brunswick County Sheriff’s Office (and volunteers) and most importantly, the many volunteers who assisted Brunswick Family Assistance (BFA) in our food distribution program Thursday, May 12.

Thank you for your excellent coverage last week of the segment of the Sunset Beach Town Council meeting concerning Senate Bill 875, which proposes de-annexing portions of Sunset Beach including the east and west oceanfront ends of Sunset Beach island.

Of particular interest to me was the comment, “You push people into a corner, they’re eventually going to strike back.”

In response to William N. Clemmons’ letter published in last week’s edition, I certainly respect his service to our nation and his right to his opinion.

I write to address his lack of understanding of Thomas McGrath’s letter published May dealing with $19 trillion of U.S. debt, and a refusal on the part of our Congressman David Rouzer among 259 others to repudiate their now 30-year-old pledge to never raise taxes, even to fund the spending they appropriated, including war and veterans issues.

A state of emergency has been declared in Venezuela by President Nicolás Maduro. The crisis grows deeper and deeper.

Food is very scarce, while basic necessities and medicines are almost nonexistent. People wait in lines up to 12 hours for food and are still unable to get basics like milk or rice. Hospitals are low on medicines, cleaning supplies and even water and electricity. Patients are dying every day because doctors don’t have the supplies to treat them. Many lie on the floor and in hallways waiting to be seen by a doctor.

Donald Trump engaged in casual folly last week on CNBC regarding reducing our $19 trillion debt. He responded as if America was an insolvent business. He said he would ask Treasury bond holders to accept reduced payments to cut the debt.

Congress has the power to tax the wealthy equal to what it appropriates or borrow new money at 1 percent interest to pay off current debt, provided it does not foolishly spend money and then refuse to tax or increase the debt limit.